Profile: Carly de Castro

I met Carly in high school through Hayden, who, as I mentioned, is like family. She is one of his closest friends, and years later, along with Hedi Gores, now business partners in the wildly successful endeavor that is Pressed Juicery. I adore Carly and her sister Kate (stay tuned for her profile this fall), and admire the beautiful, healthy lifestyle that she lives and emanates. Also as mentioned, along with Pressed Juicery, she is co-founder of the The Chalkboard Mag, an amazing online study in living well. And, her husband Alejandro is co-founder of the farm to frontdoor delivery favorite, Summerland.

They live in Santa Monica with their son Luca, who is almost three, in a wonderfully warm and inviting space with lots of soul; upon entering, you instantly feel at ease and at home. I hope you enjoy this look inside. XXJKE

 

Beauty

R+T: What are your go-to beauty products? Why?

I have been using Lancer’s cleansers for years and they just work well with my skin. Lately, my new beauty obsession is SundayRiley. It’s clean, green technology – 99% paraben free and also so effective for improving skin texture. All of their oils make you glow. For makeup, I use Hourglass for the same reasons – it’s super clean, natural, and dedicated to innovation. For body I use Rodin Olio Lusso Body Oil and Biologique Recherche Creme.

R+T: Is there anything special you would like to share about your beauty routine?

I use oils and serums at night, and in the morning I exfoliate my skin and use a light moisturizer. I keep my makeup pretty natural and simple, just tinted moisturizer, mascara and bronzer. Once a month, I see Marianne at MK Skin Studio for galvanic facials. I’ve been seeing her since I was 15, and she is amazing. Also, I get regular facials with Tarin Graham of Michelle Peck Skin – their oxygen treatments are perfect right before an event.

R+T: What are the 5 products you couldn’t live without?

Lancer Polish Skin Exfoliator

Sunday Riley Good Genes Serum

Sunday Riley Juno Face Oil

Hourglass Illusion tinted moisturizer

Hourglass Lip Oil

Serge Lutens Mascara

R+T: Bath or Shower?

Showers every day. Baths on vacation.

R+T: What do you sleep in?

Usually a Monrow sheer tissue tank and silk shorts or sweats. And a reversible James Perse duvet — crisp cotton in the summer, warm jersey in the winter.

 

Health

R+T: Do you have any health tricks?

Green juice! I also get regular colonics and infrared sauna treatments, because I find that when I’m clean and healthy on the inside, my skin glows and I feel my best. I also love We Care Spa as an annual health trip with my sister, to detox and have some quality down time.

R+T: Do you workout, what do you swear by?

I do pilates with Andrea Speir at Uprise Wellness . She has a new web series called The Pilates Fix, which makes it so easy to work out at home. I also see Kyle Miller for private yoga sessions at home, or visit her at The Yoga Collective in Venice.

R+T: What do you do to relax?

Cook, relax in our yard, go to the beach, do yoga, and sweat at Shape House.

 

Entertaining

R+T: Do you entertain at home?

Yes, we love to have close friends and family over to gather in our backyard, usually on Sunday afternoons.

R+T: What are your tricks for entertaining?

Keep it simple— A cheese plate, good wine, seasonal salads, and dessert. Good music, good people. I always try to invite a mix of friends who would enjoy one another’s company.

R+T: How do you set the scene when you have people over?

We always go to the farmer’s market on saturday morning and pick up flowers and ingredients for the weekend. My husband arranges the flowers, I usually plan the menu. We put on a great playlist, throw some blankets on the grass and a teepee for the kids.

R+T: Are there any tips for what to do or what to avoid?

Do your prep work early so that you can enjoy as much time as possible with your guests. And don’t get too ambitious! Just relax and have a good time.

R+T: What is your favorite song/playlist when you have people over?

Usually a mix of Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Ray Lamontagne, Alabama Shakes …etc.

R+T: Plated, Buffet, or Family Style for a dinner party?

Family style.

R+T: What are your favorite flowers and where do you buy them?

Peonies, dahlias, ranunculus, tuberose, sweet peas. We buy most of our flowers at the Santa Monica farmer’s markets.

R+T: Who is your favorite florist?

My husband and the talented folks at Botany!

 

Fashion

R+T: How would you describe your style?

Simple, relaxed, neutral.

R+T: Who are your favorite designers?

Acne, Rag & Bone, Equipment, ALC, Isabel Marant, Jenni Kayne, Celine, The Row. Monrow for comfy basics.

R+T: What is your uniform?

Jeans (blue or white), T-shirt, flats, Silk jacket or blazer.

R+T: What is your newest purchase?

Isabel Marant Brook Sandals. I loved them so much that I bought them in two colors.

 

Food

R+T: Is there anything about your diet you would like to share with R+T?

I am of the school of thought that you are what you eat. Whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, lots of water and juice, dark chocolate— and mostly home-cooked meals. To me that is the recipe for good health and happiness. Everything in moderation, of course. It’s nice to indulge every once in a while.

R+T: Do you cook?

Yes, every day.

R+T: What is your favorite recipe?

Too hard to choose! I have a ton of cookbooks and I look to them for inspiration. I love cooking a variety of different types of cuisines- from Italian to Mexican to Morroccan- but I always seem to give my dishes a California seasonal flair. My favorite places to look for inspiration are: Canal House, Pamela Salzman, Ottolenghi, 101 Cookbooks, Orangette, David Tanis, and Summerland, my husband’s company which has the best local produce and incredible recipes!!

R+T: What is your child’s favorite recipe?

Pamela Salzman’s Quinoa with Spinach, Feta, and Herbs. We always have this in our fridge because he devours it!

 

Kids

R+T: What are your favorite places to shop for kids?

Zara Kids, J.Crew, Bobo Choses, ESP No. 1, Bon Ton, Nico Nico, Thumbeline

R+T: What’s your favorite thing to do/place to go on the weekends with your kids?

We usually stay in Santa Monica– there’s so much to do. Bike ride, visit the promenade, the beach, the pier, the aquarium, and the farmers markets.

R+T: What is your favorite restaurant to eat at with the whole family?

True Food Kitchen. It’s loud, kid-friendly, organic and healthy.

 

Shopping & Blogs

R+T: What are your favorite stores to shop for clothing?

Barneys, Lost & Found. My sister Kate is a stylist and I usually consult with her before I buy anything. I am really lucky because she often brings over clothes that she picks out for me.

R+T: What is your favorite city for shopping?

LA

R+T: What are your favorite sites for shopping?

Net-A-Porter, Etsy, Kaufmann Mercantile

R+T: Are you an impulse buyer, or do you wait to commit?

I would say I’m an impulse buyer…

R+T: What are your favorite sites for recipes?

Canal House, Orangette, Pamela Salzman, Valleybrink Road, 101 Cookbooks, The Sprouted Kitchen, David Lebovitz, Cooks Illustrated, A La Alison

R+T: What are your favorite blogs?

Summerland Test Kitchen, View From The Topp, The Chalkboard Mag, A Cup of Jo

 

Healthful Living

R+T: Can you tell us a bit about your path to healthful living? What role has juicing played in your life?

For many years I ate poorly and didn’t understand the connection between food and health. It seems so obvious to me now, but I had to take a journey to get there. At 21 years old, I began taking more of an interest in my well-being and took a leap of faith by going to We Care Spa in the desert. It was there that I met Dr. Alejandro Junger and immersed myself in his approach to Clean eating. Years later, as my health improved, I wanted to learn more, so I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York. There was a turning point for me a few months after that when my mother passed away from cancer. I asked myself what I really wanted to do with my life, and the answer seemed to trace back to this green juice that I started my mornings with each day. Little by little the juice helped me feel great, inspired to make better food choices and lifestyle choices. I gradually lost over 45 lbs and stopped needing medication. It was a real life-changer.

R+T: How and when did Pressed Juicery begin?

The seeds for Pressed were planted at the beginning of my journey, as well as those of my partners Hedi and Hayden. But in 2009, we came together with a similar idea– to open a convenient, healthy, high-quality, beautiful juice shop and focus our energies on making our product the best it could be. We opened our doors in November 2010 in Brentwood.

R+T: Any good lessons learned along the way?

Having a business is a great teacher. Every day is a new lesson. For me, one of the biggest was learning to not be afraid to take risks, that every mistake is an opportunity, and that you are nothing without your team.

R+T: Favorite juice or milk? Your son’s?

My favorite right now is Greens 1.5. My son’s is Greens 3 or Watermelon Mint.

R+T: Tell us about the evolution of your new lifestyle site, The Chalkboard…

The Chalkboard is an idea that came about because we had so many customers coming to us for advice on various topics– what they should eat, how they should take care of their skin, eco-friendly clothing, what healthy restaurants they should try… We wanted to be able to share knowledge with our customers about living an enriching life, even thought we personally did not have all of the answers. So we began The Chalkboard in 2012 as a way to highlight and profile people, places, and products that we love, as well as to be able to give people with unique voices a platform to share their points of view on living well.

R+T: Your husband is also co-founder of the farm to front door organic delivery service, Summerland. How have each of your endeavors influenced the others?

Both Summerland and Pressed Juicery have a lot in common. Both companies bring healthy, high-quality food and beverages to people, but in very different ways. It has been fun to see the evolution of both of our brands, as they serve different purposes but also come together in a complementary way. Pressed juices make it very easy for people to drink their nutrients quickly, whereas what I love about Summerland is that it inspires quality time in the kitchen, learning how to make delicious food the way that chefs would, with super local ingredients and very personalized service. Recently, we launched a collaboration where customers can order a box of ingredients, curated by Summerland, and cook recipes from our new book, JUICE. These recipes are perfect for eating clean, and also if you are ending a cleanse.

R+T: What’s new and next for Pressed Juicery and The Chalkboard?

We just launched Freeze, a frozen treat made exclusively from our fruits, nuts and vegetables. Currently it’s in Palo Alto but will be coming to LA soon. We are also continuing to expand to different markets. We will have some new menu items as well in the next few months which should be exciting.

R+T: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Knowing that we have created a product that tastes good, but more importantly, is actually good for you. It’s so rewarding to think that there are people out there like me, who have struggled with weight or health issues, that we can help in some small way through such a simple product.